Candidates may file by petition for almost every office on this year’s ballot. There are no filing fees for petition candidates. The deadline for petition candidates to file for the November 2, 2010 General Election is noon, Thursday, July 15, 2010.

To be nominated by petition, a candidate must file a nominating petition containing the valid signatures of at least 5% of the active, registered voters in the geographical area the office represents. The 5% is based on the total number of registered voters in the geographical area 120 days prior to the election. No petition requires more than 10,000 signatures.

Petitions for some local offices may have specific requirements set by state law that are different from the 5% requirement….as is the case with the Soil & Water Conservation District Commissioners.

If a petition candidate is filing for a countywide or less-than-countywide office, the candidate files with our office.

If a petition candidate is filing for a multi-county office or State House of Representatives, the candidate files with the SC State Election Commission (2221 Devine ST Suite 105 Columbia, SC 29205).

Petitions must:

Be printed on good quality original bond paper sized 8.5″ x 14″.

Contain a concise statement of purpose.

In the case of nomination of candidates, the name of the candidate, the office for which he is offering, and the specific election in which he is offering.

Statement of purpose must appear on each page.

Contain separate columns for voters to enter the following information:

The Statement of Economic Interests (SEI) is for the candidate to complete at the time of filing or already have completed. Candidates must file electronically, print, and submit their “filing confirmation page” with their petition. The State Ethics Act requires that candidates electronically file this form at the time of becoming a candidate and provide evidence of such filing with the official responsible for the election. If a candidate fails to electronically file the form at the time of filing as a candidate, his name shall not appear on the ballot. If through error or omission, a candidate’s name appears on the election ballot, the candidate shall not be certified subsequent to the election.

The Campaign Disclosure Form. It is the responsibility of the candidate to electronically file this form, initially, within ten days after receiving or expending their first $500, to include their own money (please note an initial report is not required after every $500 spent or received). Thereafter, quarterly reports are due within ten days following the end of each calendar quarter before and after each election, until a final report with a zero balance is filed, whether contributions have been received or expenditures made. All candidates must electronically file a Pre-election report fifteen days before each election showing contribution and expenditure activity current as of 20 days before the election. This report is electronically filed even if no funds are received and no expenditures made. A Final Report is electronically filed when the campaign account is closed (i.e., no funds are in the account and no money is due or owed). NOTE: If a pre-election report is required to be filed within thirty days of the end of the prior calendar quarter, the quarterly report and pre-election report must be combined and filed to meet the pre-election report deadline.

Online Registration Deadline 11:59PM Oct 8th

-65Days-22Hours-21Minutes-57Seconds

NEW! Register to Vote ONLINE

Requires S.C. Driver’s License or DMV ID

If you have moved and not updated your address with the DMV, you’ll need to do this first by CLICKING HERE (Click green “Next” button at bottom of next screen and follow onscreen prompts. After you have updated your DMV record, you’ll need to return to this page and hit the “Register Now” button above to register to vote or update your voter registration record.)

Online applications must be submitted on or before the deadline to be valid for any specific election. Online voter registration does not “turn off” at the deadline. Applications submitted after the deadline will be processed but will not be valid for that particular election.

Check Your Voter Registration Online Here

Get My Absentee Application

*Important: You will need to download and print the application the system provides you, sign it, and send it to our office. Application can be sent by US Postal Mail, Email Attachment, or Fax.

Disclaimer: Information presented on the PickensElections.org website is collected, organized, and provided for the convenience of the user. While the Board of Voter Registration & Elections of Pickens County (hereafter Board) attempts to keep such information accurate and up-to-date, it cannot warrant the authenticity or reliability of such information. This publication is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. The Board maintains all immunities as provided in the S.C. Tort Claims Act. Under no circumstances will the Commission, the County, the State, or their agents and/or employees be liable for any actions taken, or omissions made, from reliance on any information contained on, or linked to, PickensElections.org from any source nor shall the Board, the County, the State, or their agents and/or employees be liable for any other consequences from any such reliance. A link from PickensElections.org is not an endorsement of the content, viewpoints, products, or services at the remote site. Users are responsible to determine for themselves which web pages are part of the official PickensElections.org website and which are merely convenient links. Email addresses obtained are subject to the access and confidentiality provisions of the State's Freedom of Information Act and other applicable sections of the South Carolina Code of Laws and/or federal law. No person or private entity shall knowingly obtain or use any personal information obtained from PickensElections.org for commercial solicitation directed to any person in this State. By using PickensElections.org, the user acknowledges and agrees to be bound by the terms of the above disclaimer. Any questions should be directed to the Executive Director of the Board.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.